Creeps Suzette (16 page)

“I came to Creepers last night because I wanted to be here for the anniversary,” Caroline said as the hiccoughs subsided and the tears began to dry up. “I heard there was going to be a storm, so I decided to start out before the weather changed.”

“Were you at Creepers when your father was killed?” Judith asked.

“Yes. I was still living at home, with Mommy and Russ. They'd only been married about two years,” Caroline explained, then paused to take another sip of water. “Mommy encouraged me to spend the night with
Gran'mère
because she wasn't feeling well. Kenny couldn't come—he was out rescuing beavers from some pond.”

“How did you learn about the accident?” Judith inquired.

“The police told us,” Caroline said, starting to tear up
again. “It was around nine o'clock. Mommy had just stopped by on her way from having dinner with Russ at the club. She came to see
Gran'mère
because she'd had another spell. Then the sheriff's deputies showed up and told us about Daddy. Mommy went to pieces and Dr. Moss had to give her a sedative.”

“Dr. Moss was at Creepers?” Judith asked.

“Yes, I'd sent for him,” Caroline replied. “He was arranging for
Gran'mère
to be taken to the hospital. I had to ride along in the ambulance with Nurse Fritz because Mommy was so distraught and Dr. Moss wasn't feeling well, either. That's the first time I realized how old he really was. He'd been around for so long and his hair was always white, I guess I never noticed.”

“But you were okay?” Renie asked, slightly incredulous.

“I was numb.” Caroline looked away from the cousins, as if she could picture herself moving silent and robotlike through the vast rooms of Creepers. “With
Gran'mère
ill and Mommy upset, I kept the news about Daddy at a distance. It was only the next day, after
Gran'mère
got through her surgery, that I collapsed.”

“In spite of the divorce,” Judith said in a thoughtful tone, “your mother must still have been fond of your father.”

Caroline frowned. “I suppose. They didn't get along very well, though. It was always a hassle when he wanted Kenny and me to spend time with him.”

“Did he live close by?” Renie asked.

Caroline nodded. “North of here, in a condo by the ferry dock. He'd remarried after the divorce, but that only lasted a few years. I'm not sure Daddy was the marrying kind.”

“What did he do for a living?” Renie asked.

“When Mommy first met Daddy,” Caroline said with a tremulous smile, “he worked at the yacht club marina. Later, he got interested in repairing and restoring antique automobiles. Then, after they divorced, he hurt his back and couldn't work, at least not at the jobs he liked.” The smile faded, and the tears were about to fall again.

Judith patted Caroline's arm. “You mustn't dwell on his death. If your father was such a source of strength for you while he was alive, you must know that he wouldn't want you to give in to grief.”

Caroline offered Judith a pitiful little smile. “I realize that. But I think it's because I didn't fall apart the night he was killed, so I've had to make up for it since.”

“It's four years later,” Renie asserted. “We all have to move on.”

Wiping at her eyes, Caroline sighed. “Maybe it would have helped if they'd caught whoever killed him. Then there'd be closure. It was different with Zane.”

“Zane?” Judith said, frowning.

“Mommy's second husband,” Caroline replied. “Zane Crowley. His body was never found after he went off into the jungle and got blown up. Zane was nice, and all that, but he and Mommy were only married for a couple of years, and he was always off on some assignment. Anyway, after he was killed, Mommy got a nice note from the President or somebody. But with Daddy, there was nothing official. The wound feels like it's still open.”

“That's understandable,” Judith said, “but after all this time, it's not going to happen. If I were you, I'd try to stop mourning so much, and refocus your poetry on other subjects.”

“I thought,” Caroline said in a hollow voice, “if I wrote about Daddy's death, I could find some meaning in it. The way it is now, it's only a random, senseless act. Whoever killed him just drove on. For all I know, that person didn't even realize what happened. It was such a stormy night, he or she may have thought they'd hit a bump or a branch. The police told us that visibility was very poor.”

The door opened to reveal Peggy Hillman, who stared at the trio on the floor. “What's this? The Three Stooges?”

Renie stood up. “I used to be Curly, but my perm grew out. We were talking to your daughter. She was upset because her father was killed four years ago tomorrow. How do you feel about that, Peggy?”

Peggy looked affronted. “How I feel is none of your damned business. How Carrie feels isn't your business, either. Come on, Carrie, let's go downstairs. It's time for the cocktail hour.”

“We're still on schedule?” Renie asked.

“We're on
my
schedule,” Peggy retorted. “The cocktail hour will be two hours long. Get up, Carrie. Let's go.”

Slowly, Caroline got to her feet. “I don't think I want a cocktail, Mommy. Is it okay if I just stay here in my room?”

“No, it's not. You need to mingle.” Peggy tapped her foot.

“Mingle?” Caroline echoed, sounding bewildered. “Who do we mingle with? There's nobody here but us.”

“There's a bunch of people coming over,” Peggy said. “I invited some of the neighbors. They won't admit it, but they're dying to find out what happened here.”

“People?” Caroline looked alarmed. “What kind of people?”

Peggy's foot tapped faster. “The Bensons. The Fredericks. The Morris sisters, Mrs. Wiggins and her son, Harold. Really, Caroline, you need to mix more.”

“Okay,” Caroline said without enthusiasm. “Let me change and wash my face.”

“Good,” Peggy responded. “I'll see you in the drawing room.”

“Cocktails,” Renie murmured as the cousins followed Peggy from the suite. “Does that include appetizers?”

“Cocktails don't include you,” Peggy retorted over her shoulder. “This is strictly a Sunset Cliffs gathering. If you want a belt, send for Kenyon.”

Before Renie could retaliate, Edna appeared at the top of the stairs. “There's a phone call for you, Mrs. Jones. You may take it in your suite. I believe it's Mrs. Beverly.”

“Bev!” Peggy whirled around. “What's she doing calling you? Does she know about the mess we're in?”

“Sure,” Renie replied. “She's checking with me for recent developments. Such as you being a big jerk.” Sticking
her thumbs in her ears, and wiggling her fingers at Peggy, Renie flounced off down the hall.

“How many people have you alienated here so far?” Judith inquired as the cousins entered their suite.

“Not enough,” Renie snapped as she went to pick up the phone.

Judith sat down on the settee next to Renie, hoping she might overhear some of the conversation at Bev's end. Unfortunately, the connection wasn't strong, and she could catch only a few words.

“Yes, the police are making progress, albeit slowly,” Renie said into the receiver. “Well, your mother had to be sedated this afternoon. There was some kind of dust-up with Dorothy, which followed on the heels of a row with Kenneth and his raccoon…”

Judith closed her eyes as Renie and Bev continued talking. Finally, as the conversation was winding down, Renie asked Bev if she knew anyone named Jim.

“No?” Renie said, nudging Judith. “He seems to be the other man in this divorce thing. Yes, I realize you've been away a great deal. One more question, Bev. Who's Suzette?”

Once again, Judith tried to hear Bev's response. She caught only a couple of words, which meant nothing out of context.

“Okay, Bev, thanks. That's the first concrete information we've had,” Renie said, making a circle with her thumb and forefinger for Judith's benefit. “And by the way, your sister, Peggy, is treating us like garden pests. She tried to throw us out this morning.” There was another pause before Renie spoke again. “Good. Thanks, we'd appreciate that. We'll keep in touch. Bye.”

“Well?” Judith said as Renie hung up.

“Bev's going to call Peggy and tell her to knock it off,” Renie said. “If that doesn't work, she'll talk to Wayne. Bev feels more strongly than ever about us sticking around to watch Leota.”

“As if we see much of her,” Judith groused. “Okay, so tell me what she said about Suzette.”

“Suzette,” Renie began, “was the French-speaking nanny who was hired to care for Peggy and Wayne. As far as Bev can tell, she left shortly before Margaret Burgess died. A new nanny was hired, Brewster was her name, and she stayed on until Bev was nine or ten. After that, Leota felt the kids didn't need a nanny, because they were all in school and old enough to look out for themselves. Brewster left about the same time that Kenyon and the rest of the current staff were hired, which, as Bev reflected on the wholesale changes, seemed strange. It seemed natural that the nanny would be let go, but not everybody else. No one ever explained any of it to her, and she'd sort of forgotten about it over the years. Brewster—Ellen Brewster—by the way, is still alive and living in a nursing home, but she's completely gaga.”

“That's it?” Judith said, faintly disappointed.

“That's it,” Renie said, “except that when Kenyon joined the household, he'd been widowed and brought Sarah with him.”

“She mentioned being raised here,” Judith remarked. “It must have been an odd life for her, growing up among the rich kids with her father as the family butler.”

“That would be tough,” Renie allowed. “Sarah has never left this place. I wonder if she ever tried.”

Sadly, Judith shook her head. “While we might see Creepers as a prison, others might see it as a refuge.”

“Possibly,” Renie said, getting up. “What do you think of Bev's information regarding Suzette?”

Judith shrugged. “I don't know what to think. It sounds innocuous. Maybe there are too many lively imaginations in this house. Leota, Caroline, Edna. Hey, where are you going?”

Renie was at the door. “Down for cocktails. Are you coming?”

“But Peggy told us we weren't welcome,” Judith protested.

“Peggy be damned,” Renie retorted. “Bev told us to hang in there. So that's what we'll do. Let's go. Maybe some of the guests will have insights about Leota's near-death experiences, or Dr. Moss's real one.”

“I don't know,” Judith quibbled. “We should probably visit Leota.”

“She's still out of it, I bet,” Renie countered. “We can check in with her after we've been snubbed by the neighbors.”

With misgivings, Judith trailed after Renie, but insisted on stopping at Mrs. Burgess's suite. Nurse Fritz opened the door a scant two inches.

“How's the patient?” Judith inquired.

“Worn out,” Fritz replied. “Dr. Stevens gave me orders to keep everyone away, which certainly didn't sit well with Mr. Wayne. I had to send him packing not more than five minutes ago. No visitors means no visitors. I reminded him that this isn't Evergreen Timber. Dr. Stevens is in charge here.”

“Is Dr. Stevens here now?” Judith asked.

“He left,” said Fritz. “Doctor's on the ragged edge, too. This has been a very difficult day for him, not to mention the fact that he was up virtually all of last night.”

Judith agreed, adding that Nurse Fritz must also be tired. “Can you rest a bit?”

“Not until Mrs. Burgess settles in for the night,” Fritz said. “I'm fine. I'm accustomed to long hours.”

The cousins continued downstairs. They could hear subdued voices in the drawing room. Upon entering, they saw a dozen or more well-dressed, decorous men and women drinking cocktails and talking in small groups of twos and threes.

Peggy Hillman took one look at Judith and Renie, then marched straight toward them. “Listen,” she said, her voice low, her face flushed, and fire in her blue eyes, “I told you to butt out. Do I have to get nasty?”

“You already did,” Renie shot back. “We're here on a mission, remember? If you don't lighten up, Bev's going
to fly home to find out what's really going on.”

“Bev!” Peggy sneered, clutching her Scotch and soda. “She stays away for years on end, then thinks she has a right to lord it over the rest of us. She's been an intruder at Creepers since the day she was born.”

“Bev's my friend,” Renie asserted. “Unless you want a scene in front of all these clannish moneybags, move your butt so we can watch Kenyon mix our drinks in slow motion.”

Eyes still flashing, Peggy started to say something, but stopped and stepped aside. “You win this round,” she hissed, “but watch yourself. Those big front teeth of yours better not bite off more than they can chew.”

Renie smirked, but said nothing further until she and Judith reached the bar. “Did we once say Peggy was ever so human? I retract that statement.”

“Don't,” Judith responded, aware that some of the guests were staring discreetly. “It's because she's so human that she's so mad at us.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Renie retorted.

Judith shrugged. “No, but a good stiff shot might. Let's drink.”

The cocktail hour, which lasted until almost seven as Peggy had promised, proved a disappointment to the cousins. As Renie had flippantly predicted, they were indeed snubbed by the residents of Sunset Cliffs. Even Judith, with her friendly manner, struck out when it came to making conversation. Not once did either of the cousins get past the introduction stages. Aside from chatting briefly with Kenneth, they ended up talking to each other.